Rebirth: So what if my husband is a little crazy? He loves me.

Chapter 420 Li Che's Determination

"Should we call a doctor to take a look?" Yu Die suggested from the side.

“Miss is in good spirits. It must be because she is tired in the spring. I don’t trust ordinary doctors. Doctor Zou will be returning to the capital in a few days. It’s not too late to see him then.” Lian Qiao was thinking more deeply.

The situation between North Korea and China is tense right now, and it's hard to guarantee that the other side won't be able to win by resorting to underhanded tactics, so we can't just take any medicine.

In the room, Gu Chang'an took the hot water, wiped Shen Li's face and washed her feet before covering her with a blanket, and then began to handle official documents.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Your subject requests to marry Miss Shen Yue, the second daughter of the Shen family. I beg Your Majesty to grant my request."

Early in the morning, Emperor Cheng was blocked in his bedchamber as soon as he got up. Today was not the day of the morning court session, and he had already changed into his Taoist robes and was preparing to go to the Dan Palace. Unexpectedly, Li Che was already waiting outside the door to request an audience.

Emperor Cheng thought he was just paying his respects, but after summoning him in, he heard this remark.

Emperor Cheng's face immediately darkened, and his voice became colder: "It seems the rumors are true; you two do indeed have an affair."

“Father, you are wise. I have not done anything improper with Miss Shen. It is I who admire Miss Shen and will marry no one else.” Li Che’s gaze was firm and his tone was sincere: “I beg you, Father, to grant my request.”

Emperor Cheng scrutinized his son. Faced with his suspicions, he showed no sign of unease or guilt, remaining calm and unwavering.

It is truly remarkable that someone so young possesses such courage and ability.

But being young doesn't necessarily mean he's without ambition. If he were to marry into the Shen family, would the future political situation still be under my control as the emperor?

"Who sent you?" Emperor Cheng asked, squinting.

He suspected that Li Che had already colluded with the Shen family.

"Your Majesty, I do not understand why you ask this question. No one can interfere with my thoughts. I sincerely wish to marry Miss Shen." Li Che's words were calm yet assertive.

Emperor Cheng, however, did not dispel his doubts. He waved his hand and said, "I have already bestowed a good match upon Shen Yue. Moreover, you are still young and there is no rush to get married. Your father will find someone better for you in the future."

"Your subject does not desire anything better. I am young, so I request Your Majesty to grant me a marriage first, and we can get married two years later." Li Che's stance was firm, his gaze fixed on Emperor Cheng without any attempt to evade him.

"What if I don't agree?" Emperor Cheng's voice was even colder.

"Then I will kneel outside the palace and not rise." Li Che kowtowed to the ground, "until Father Emperor agrees."

"Li Che!" Emperor Cheng slammed his fist on the table: "Are you planning a rebellion?"

"As the eldest son, I should share the burdens of my father. If my father does not trust me, he may grant me a fief and send me far away. I will not rebel in any way, but I will not give up my desire to marry Miss Shen."

Li Che straightened up, his youthful eyes showing no trace of childishness, only unwavering determination.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" Emperor Cheng was also surprised by his audacity.

He actually dared to say something like that to share the burden.

"Your Majesty and I are not only ruler and subject, but also father and son. It is only right that I speak frankly."

Emperor Cheng was unsure whether to be angry or pleased, but his resolve regarding the marriage was firm: it could not proceed.

"Considering your magnanimity, I will grant you any other request you may make, but this marriage is absolutely out of the question." Emperor Cheng's tone softened.

In recent years, he has not been as close to Li Chen, the King of Chess, and only Li Rui and Li Che can make him feel some fatherly affection.

As people get older, they develop a greater expectation for family ties, and for the sake of this ties, he made an unprecedented concession.

"Your subject has no other request, your subject only wants her." Li Che answered without hesitation, his voice, which had not yet changed, was strong and resonant.

"You...you are truly stubborn." Emperor Cheng became angry again: "I said I would not agree to your request, get out of here."

"Your Majesty, we await your change of mind." Li Che respectfully kowtowed, then stood up and walked out, his back ramrod straight.

Emperor Cheng watched his retreating figure with mixed feelings; perhaps this child was the best choice.

But he could not waver; he could not allow the Shen family to control the government.

No one can take power away from him, not a single person!

"Your Majesty, the Fourteenth Prince is kneeling outside the palace," a young eunuch reported as he entered.

Emperor Cheng was even angrier: "Then let him kneel. I want to see how long he can kneel."

When he stepped out of the palace, he saw a young man kneeling there in a brocade robe under the blazing sun. The young man's expression was calm, without any sign of impatience, and even his gaze was peaceful and indifferent.

It was as if he wasn't fighting against anything, but rather doing something he was confident of winning.

Emperor Cheng snorted coldly and walked past him.

"Your subject respectfully sees off Your Majesty." Li Che bowed and knelt upright again.

Emperor Cheng sat in the alchemy room, unable to calm his mind all morning, unable to shake off the image of Li Che in his mind.

"Master Daoist, could you divine my fate?" Unable to make up his mind, he sought out Bai Wuyou for divination.

After a long pause, Bai Wuyou said, "Your Majesty, today is not auspicious for divination. Please forgive me."

Without receiving orders from Shen Li, he was unwilling to even bother with this damned emperor.

"What talk of forgiveness? Please, Daoist, go ahead." Emperor Cheng's attitude towards Bai Wuyou was extremely good.

But hearing that even divination couldn't predict the future, he felt even more uncertain. Was the gods also turning their backs on him? What should he do?

Half a day passed in this thought. When he returned to his palace, he found Li Che still kneeling there, his back still straight, but the sunlight shining on him was no longer the blazing sun but the starlight.

A thin layer of dew had formed on the ground, and the hem of Li Che's robe was already wet, but he seemed oblivious and remained motionless.

Emperor Cheng frowned and stepped forward. He saw that the man was still as calm and firm as ever, but his lips were pale and his once fair face had lost some color.

"Father." Li Che bowed with his voice still strong.

Wang Ru whispered in Emperor Cheng's ear, "Your Majesty, His Highness has not eaten or drunk anything all day."

Even without him saying it, Emperor Cheng could tell. He stared at Li Che for a long time before asking, "Is it worth it for a woman?"

"It's worth it." Li Che's two words were firm and resolute.

"Go back." Emperor Cheng's cold voice also contained a hint of reluctance in his admonition: "This is not the time for you to act recklessly. Do not anger me."

"Father, please calm your anger. Your son cannot go back. If I do not fight this time, I will regret it for the rest of my life." Li Che looked up and stared directly into Emperor Cheng's eyes: "Father, whatever punishment you may inflict, your son will accept it."

Emperor Cheng's eyes were filled with disappointment. He turned and left, saying, "Guards, take the Fourteenth Prince back to the Empress's palace and order the Empress to keep a close watch on him. He must not leave the palace again."

"Father." Li Che seemed to have anticipated this outcome. He remained calm and said, "Your subject hopes that Your Majesty will only imprison me for seven days. After seven days, I will trouble Your Majesty to collect my body."

Emperor Cheng's eyes blazed with fury: "Li Che, how dare you?"

Li Che simply kowtowed to him and remained there for a long time.

"Fine, I'll be waiting to collect your corpse." Emperor Cheng was furious and turned to leave.

When did the Li family produce such a romantic?!

It's really a big joke in the world.

Even the guards were filled with respect for Li Che, and dared only to respectfully escort him back to Fengxiang Palace.

Empress Ning saw that Li Che's face was pale and felt as if her heart was bleeding. She gently advised, "Che'er, you can't go against your father. If we don't want to marry him, then we don't have to. Once you get what you want, what woman can't you have?"

"What does Your Majesty think I want?" Li Che didn't even glance at the food on the table, only raising his head to look at Empress Ning, his dark eyes filled with a deep look.

After the servants left, Empress Ning said, "Naturally, it is the supreme position. You need the support of the Shen family, but based on my understanding of the Shen family, they will still support you even if you do not marry into the Shen family."

"I want that position, and I want this marriage too." Li Che's voice was calm: "If I could only choose one, I would choose her."

"Che'er!" Empress Ning exclaimed in surprise, "How could you be so foolish? You've offended your father and lost everything. Isn't the empire more important than a woman?"

"Perhaps," Li Che agreed, "but in my eyes, she is more important."

"Are you confused? What kind of bewitching potion did Shen Yue give you?"

“It has nothing to do with her; it is my own feeling.”

"You're being reckless! What will you do if your father doesn't agree? Will you really die in front of him?" Empress Ning felt like she was about to die of anger.

Her eldest son was weak and unambitious, while her younger son was upright but lacked strategy. Who could she possibly rely on?

"Father will agree," Li Che said confidently. "Does Mother think the Shen family will let their daughter marry those good-for-nothings?"

Empress Ning fell silent; she hadn't expected such a response.

Shen Li will definitely not allow this to happen.

But... can one truly defy the will of the emperor?

"Mother, please don't send any more food. I won't eat it." Li Che glanced at the food on the table and turned back to his reading.

He hasn't reviewed today's lessons yet, and he still needs to check the accounts after finishing his lessons, so he can't afford to be late.

Empress Ning watched as Li Che sat there steadily, his pale face focused on reading, and she was shocked as never before.

She seemed to see both cunning and hope in that small body.

She had the palace maids clear away the food and quietly withdrew.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The first thing Emperor Cheng asked upon waking the next day was about news from Fengxiang Palace.

"Your Majesty, the Fourteenth Prince has not eaten. The Empress has brought out food," Wang Ru said softly.

"You unfilial son!" Emperor Cheng exclaimed in anger.

He never imagined that a son would dare to disobey him like this, but he was just a child, and there was no way to punish him except to kill him, which truly left him helpless.

He wanted to talk to someone but found that he had no one to talk to. In the past, he would tell Shen Zizai about his troubles, but this was obviously not the right time.

The Empress and the Imperial Concubine were biased, and Prince Yi was even more ambitious. After thinking for a long time, he felt only sorrow in his heart. He had truly become a lonely man.

"Has Lao Jiu finished faking illness?" he suddenly asked.

After suppressing the rebellion, Li Rui secluded himself in the palace. He tried to employ him several times, but Li Rui refused on the grounds of illness. He even wrote several times requesting to go to his fiefdom.

"I heard the Ninth Prince went to the Imperial Garden recently, so he must be feeling better. Why doesn't His Majesty summon him to inquire about his condition?" Wang Ru replied tactfully.

"He's been pretending for so long, he should be done by now." Emperor Cheng snorted. "Summon him to the alchemy room to see me."

"What about today's court meeting?"

"No need, submit a memorial if you have something to report." Emperor Cheng didn't want to concern himself with any state affairs; he only wanted to attain immortality and never have to deal with worldly matters again.

Li Rui was then summoned to the Dan Palace.

He wore a moon-white robe embroidered with two cranes, leaving large blank spaces. The wide sleeves almost reached the ground, while the waist was tightly cinched, revealing a pair of slender legs.

His attire exudes a carefree and unrestrained air, making him seem more like a romantic scholar frequenting brothels than a prince.

Li Rui's demeanor was similar, casual and nonchalant. He never showed fear when he saw Emperor Cheng, but instead smiled and bowed, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Emperor Cheng was furious at the sight of his clothes, yet for no reason he wanted to laugh. This child truly was beyond his control.

"You, instead of sharing your father's burdens, spend your days hiding in the palace for peace and quiet. How should I punish you?" Emperor Cheng said this with great affection.

Li Rui smiled casually: "Father is in his prime, why would he need my help? Using me is just to give me pointers, but I'm not cut out for it, so I won't upset Father."

"Smooth-talking." Emperor Cheng laughed in exasperation.

Li Rui hurriedly massaged his shoulders and asked, "Father, there is no use for me staying in the capital. Why don't you let me go to my fiefdom?"

"No." Emperor Cheng's words were decisive.

Li Rui's talent is evident to all. He has made great achievements in both civil administration and military affairs. What is rare is that he has no ambition and wants to stay by his side for several more years.

"Father..."

"I know your free-spirited nature. How about this, I'll grant you a residence, so you'll be more comfortable living outside the palace?" Emperor Cheng asked.

Li Rui was immediately overjoyed: "Thank you, Father Emperor, I am willing."

Emperor Cheng was both amused and exasperated: "Then why are you still clamoring to go to your fiefdom?"

"Your Majesty, I am reluctant to leave you. I will go later." Li Rui changed his mind very quickly.

"You..." Emperor Cheng felt helpless.

After the father and son talked for a while, Emperor Cheng asked him again, "Rui'er, have you heard about your fourteenth brother's outrageous behavior?"

"I've heard about it. I didn't expect Fourteenth Brother to be such a sentimental person, thinking about getting married at such a young age," Li Rui said with a light laugh.

"You're still laughing? He threatened me with death." Emperor Cheng sighed.

"Is Father really angry with him? Children are bound to be a bit naive, but this sincerity is truly rare."

Emperor Cheng looked at him and asked, "In your opinion, how should this matter be resolved?"

"Father has his reasons for not agreeing, but in my opinion, it is a trivial matter. Even commoners ask to marry the women they love, so why can't my fourteenth brother?"

“Father, think about it, the second young lady of the Shen family is of the highest caliber in terms of appearance and family background. It is only natural for my fourteenth brother to want to marry her. Why don’t you grant his wish?” Li Rui said easily.

Emperor Cheng frowned slightly: "Do you know that's the Shen family?"

“No one could have such a good daughter if it weren’t for the Shen family.” Seeing the Emperor’s somber expression, Li Rui added, “Is Father worried about the Shen family’s growing power?”

"Is not it?"

“That makes sense.” Li Rui thought for a moment and then said, “Your subject has a plan that can both fulfill the wishes of the fourteenth brother and curb the further development of the Shen family.”

"Oh? Tell me about it."

"Force Chief Minister Shen to resign."

Emperor Cheng's brow twitched slightly, and he asked again, "What if he doesn't resign?"